Illuminated sign and process of making same



Jan. 8, 1929. I v 1,698,357

A. L. BLOCK ILLUMINATED SIGN AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 21, 1927 INVENTOR. flzaskr 4. 31mm.

ATTZQNEYS.

display capable of'illumination.

. use :for the sole Patented Jan. 8, 1 929.

[UNITED-ESTATES,PATENT OFFICE.

i 'ALBEBT L. BLOCK; INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

mmnkmnmn sien AND maocnss or mine sun.

a nea... filed February 21, 1927. semimi. 169,860.

This inventiomrelates to an advertising The chief object of the invention is to produce an illuminated display which will be of but few parts, of relatively low cost, and

f which display is not readily changeable,

character that prevents ready or relatively easy change, thereby insuring continuity of purpose for which the display is intended. 1 i

Heretofore illuminateddisplays have been made from relatively rigid material such as wood, or metal, or both, and usually have included transparent or translucent material in the form of glass suitably colored and mount ed in the display in such manner that the same can be readily removed. The authorized display, therefore, isfrequently changed to an unauthorized display by the substitution of a new glass or by changing the glass or other transparent or translucent material. The present invention, whenever achange is attempted, results in substantial mutilation of the. display so that its usefulness is terminated.

Further, the present display has the added advantage of not .only being capable of shipment in the flat in the knockdown condition, but has a relatively low cost estimated at from one-fourth to one-twentieth ofthe heretofore relatively permanent types of displays.

The invention, therefore, consists in the formation of the display by, a better process resulting in the better display produced thereby and byone which readily lends to quantity production.

Thev full nature of the invention will be understood fromthe accompanying drawings and the following description an'dclaims; In the drawings Fig.1 is aperspective view ofone form of display, the same having a frusto-pyramidal outline. Fig. 2 is a longi* tudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank forming the major .portion of the display in the flat and knockdown arrangement. Fig. 4 is a similar view of theillumination support. Fig. 5 is an en larged transverse sectional view taken on line 5 5' of Fig-:2 and in the direction of the ar rows. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the display blank with the covering material applied "thereto and is taken on line 66 of'Fig. 3 and in the direction of the arrows.

. In the drawings three different types of illuminatable arrangements are disclosed. One consists in die cutting or'otherwise cuttin out the particular outline so that that whlch is'to show as illuminated will show as such when subjected to illumination. Second, die cutting or otherwise cutting, or removing from exposed vision a sufiicient portion to receive one or more articles of mer- Chandise or a container carrying one or more articles of merchandise which if transparent ortranslucent, will permit the passage of li ht rays from the interior .to the exterior, ut

which if it is not transparent or' translucent will not permit the passage of the light rays but will still carry and display the article or articles; and the third type consists in die cutting or otherwise cutting, or removing a suit able portion of the display and thereaftercovering said cut-out portion with a sheet upon which .there is employed a legend or figure to show when illuminated and the remainder of which issuitably colored or otherwise formed so as to be opaque. A sheet' of card board, and if the size of the display is too large a plurality of sheets may be employed and suitably united together at the joints, is first die cut so as to be in. conformity with a portion or' all of the copy that is to appear on the display. The cutting can be that of an outline and removing such portionsfrom the blank as will show through. By the terminology card-board employed herein and throughout the specification' and claims, there is intended to be included what is generally understood in the trade as card-board, mat-board, box-board, litho-board, blanks, or wall board.

After cutting as required by the copy to be produced, a. sheet of paper or parchment orsimilar equivalent means is then printed, lithographed, photographed, offset or otherwise processed in any desired number of colors reproducing the entire copy and the back ground of the display as it is to appear on the face of the finished display. lithe card-board mentioned has been die cut in exact conformity with the outline independent- 1y of all the copy to appear on the face of the display, no printing or processing is required on the reverse side. On the other. hand, if

the card-board is cut out to provide a space board with the copy the entire blank is then die cut to the desired outline and preferably such'die cutting is-so arranged so that the display is formed in a minimum number of'disunited pieces, the form shown herein being illustrated as in a-single piece. Simultaneously with, before or after, die cutting the.

blank is scored or creased, or o'therwise eut .as required to permit the bendin or forming of the blank. into the desired isplay with 'or without the application of cloth or paper hingin for strengthening the joints. The particu ar construction of the display will be ereinafter set forth in detail.

,Inthe drawings there is illustrated, mereby way of illustration, a frusto-pyramidal 1 spla which has a front face 10, the top 11, the si es 12'and the back 13. As shown herein, the several parts are united to ether, the same being formed from a single blank. The

top 11 unites the front 10 with the back 13' and positions the same in spaced relation and is connected thereto b the .scorings 14. Herein the top' is provide with suita 1e openings 15 for ventilation and the dissipation of heat. Herein the sides 12 areformed as continuations of the front 10 and1are united thereto at the scorings 16. Each of the sides includes a longitudinal flap 17 and the longitudinal edgepf'theback includes a similar member 18, 'said members 17 and 18 being associated together by being formed complementary or by being secured together such as by sewing,

' hinging, hooking, stapling or the like. In

the resent form of the invention, however, see igs. 2 and 5, the portions 17 and 18. are

positioned adjacent each other and are secured together to form a substantially lightt gliit joint by a U-shaped metallic strip 19 ch exerts a clamping pressure upon said flaps or extensions and covers the connection therebetween preventing any escape of light.

Fig. 3 illustrates the blank, not as actually employed in the process but illustrates the cutting of the blank to form, that is, the final peripheral outline required rior to the mounting thereon of the desire copy. Thus, the sides include the cut outs 20 which are normally covered to disclose the legending :21, sec-Fig. 1. Also the several portions are die cut as at 22 to show. in the final form lcgending 23. Also the cut out portion 24 illustrates the other matter 25 in the final form and cut out 26 is such as to receive or peripherally enclose all or part oftan article.

Herein the ilap 27 is provided and also flap 28. Who side portions of the cut out 26 may also be suitably arranged so as to exert a yielding or pressure clamp on the article 29which is a bottle or container when positioned in the cut out 26. If the articleis a bottle or other transparent or translucent subject matter, then the Ii ht rays will pass therethrough and the arti le will be illuminated. Ifthearticle is opaque no light will pass through. v

The top is shown provided with a plurality of fla is 30 which are folded inwardly and I extend downwardly therefrom and serve as alightj shield. The base of the front and back in the present form of the invention: is suitably slit as at 31 and scored as at 32 forming complementary blanks 33 and 34, one of said blanks having a slot 35 therein and the other having a tongue 36 extendingtherefrom. When the device is' folded into display relationship, the flaps 33 and .34 are folded inwardly from their respective suporting portions and the tongue 36 is received by the slit 35, asshown in Fig. 2. This arrangement provides a cut out at the bottom and secures ventilation from the opening 37 folded therein. Figi2 shows the -latform formed ,thereby near the passage 0 the display and within the" same, which platform does not extend the full length of the display and thus provides the ventilating passages 38 for dissipating the heat resulting from the use of an illuminant. As heretofore set forth, generally,,the copy to be desired'is secured to the blank prior to the final III die cuttin to the desired eripheral outline so th t w 1en assembled t e display is immediately ready for use. It will be evident also that by positioning the copy upon the exterior of the board the maximum resistance to mutilation'or substitution will be provided since if the 'co y is at all mutilated fort-he purpose of su stitution, such mutilization will be immediately apparent where is attempted to-join the new copy with the old.

It will also be apparent that whenever cut out portions are employed suitable color and th of coloring may be used on the copy to e indicate shadows or the third-dimension.

The display, it will beapparent, consists in its broadest phase essentially of a sheet of copy a board to the face of which the same is suitably secured and die cut and scored in the desired manner, resulting in a flat article suitable for shipment in such formation and readily assembled at the destination into its final form.

Another phase of the invention is one which reduces the cost considerably, the man ner and means of illuminataing the display. Herein there is provided an extension cord terminating in a universal socket 4 1 and the other end terminates in a light bulb receiving socket 42, preferably including a switch operable by the finger piece 43, all of the foregoing being of standard construct-ion. A light bulb 44-is receivable by said socket and is also of standard construction. Positioned in the socket or formed as an extension thereof is a thermally operable standard and well known automatic flasher switch, not shown herein, but which can be purchased in the open market. v

The means for supporting the light source inthe predetermined position is a single sheet support suitably formed by cutting and scoring, so that when it supports the light bulb the latter will be positioned at substantially near the center of the display and said support will be readily supported upon the platform formed by the two interconnecting flaps 33 and 34. Herein such a support consists of a strip of material formed from a portion of the-blank discarded as waste, Fi .4 illustrating the outline and shape toget er with the scorings of the blank. Figs. 3 and 4 are not drawn to the same scale but Fig. 2 is. The blank consists .of a base portion 50, a socket receiving side 51 united thereto at the scored portion 52 and including the socket receiving opening 53. Extending oppositely from each of the aforesaid is a flap 54 united thereto by the scorings 55 and including an aperture '56. Apertures 56 are adapted to re ister with'each other as shown qlearly inFIg. 2f. WVhen assembled the light sup ort consists of a triangle, the two aperture ends lying side by side with the apertures registering. The socket 42 is extended into the triangular support so that the bulb receiving porti' n is positioned immediately adjacent the riigistering apertures. 'The ,flasher 'is then positioned in said socket and the neck of the light bulb 44 is passed into the registering apertures from the opposite direction, and said light bulb is then screwed into'the socket 42,

thereby securing the flasher in the socket andall of'the parts in electrical connection and the support in triangular formation. The

' light standard, it will be apparent, is also capable of shipment in the fiat or knockdown condition and can be readily assembled. The

V surface of the card-board may be treated light 'at too great an elevation.

to serve as a table or stand with silicate ofsoda or other suitable cover-: ing so as to be substantially fire proof or at least slow burning. The heat is generated by the light and is'not very great and since the flasher intermittently connects and disconnects the light, the temperature ofthe light does not become very great. It will be apparent that if the display is of relatively small size that the triangular support would be objectionable in that it would osition the n such instancesthe flaps 33 and 345 may be provided with registering apertures and the scoring 32 will be of just sufficient height to permit clearance of the light socket 42. In that event the socket 42 is beneath the partition formed by the two overlapping portions 33 and 34: and the light is positioned adjacent the same and extends through the registering apertures. T

It will also be apparent that in certain instances it may be desirable to have a substanbe arranged so that a pair of cut outs 24 or 30 are provided, said cut outs having a scored connection with the blank such that upon assembling they are turned inwardly so as to ovcrlieeach. other, and they also may be apertured so, as to be provided with registering apertures. I

lVhen it is desired to utilize the aforesaid display as a support, it may or may not be desirable to include the perforations 15 in the top. These perforations may be provided in the sides, or on the back, or even on the front of the display. The display then is adapted for an object that is to be advertised.

. \Vhile the invention has been described in considerable detail in the foregoing and several modifications thereof have been men tioned, these, as well as many others which will" readily suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art, all are to be considered as within the scope of this invention, reference being had to the claims appended hereto.

- In the claims blocking? is intended to include backing as well as covering, and

.for positioning in self-supporting display formation, and a light transmittingrelatively non-rigid sheet of copy secured to the exposed face of the board for substantially covering the same and the board perforation, and including a complete representation upon the exposed copy face and having its back face suitably opaqued for registration with -'the board perforation for forming a second face having a predetermined representation representation, and means for securing the, with a li ht transmitting portion re 'sterin copy covered board in dis lay formation. with the lioard opening,'and the bac of sai 15 2. A unitary illuminata le sign comprising sheet including suitable opaquing for deter- 5 a sheet of relatively rigid fiber, card or mat mining the light to be transmitted thereboard, or the like, having the desired pethrough, said opaquing registering with the ripheral outline and a cutout opening for the cutout board'to form a second representation passage of light rays therethrough, and a with the first representation when light is 2 light transmitting relatively non-rigid sheet passed through the sheet. c J

of copy substantially covering the entire In witness whereof,Ihave hereunto afiixed front face bf the board, and permanentl semy signature. cured thereto, said sheet of copy on its ront ALBERT L. BLOCK. 

